Morrison, charged with two counts of common assault, closed his eyes and puffed his cheeks out after being refused bail at Manchester Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

The 21-year-old, who spoke only to confirm his name and age, is alleged to have assaulted ex-girlfriend Reah Mansoor, 19, and her mother Parveen Mansoor, 39, in the early hours of Sunday morning. He was arrested on Wednesday and appeared in court on Thursday.

District Judge James Prowse refused a bail application made by Morrison's solicitor Ros Emsley-Smith. The defendant, who did not enter a plea, was remanded into custody until Aug. 7.

The former Manchester United midfielder is accused of an attack outside a bar in Manchester city centre in the early hours of Sunday morning. He is also accused of assaulting the same woman and another 39-year-old woman hours later.

Morrison, from Urmston, appeared at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court on Thursday, and will remain there for a week.

A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police said: "At about 3.20 am on Sunday, July 27 2014, police were called to an address on Alexandra Road, Peel Green, Salford, following reports a 19-year-old woman and a 39-year-old woman had been assaulted.

"Officers attended and established the young woman had also been assaulted outside a bar in Manchester city centre earlier that evening and a 21-year-old man was subsequently arrested at a later date.

"Ravel Morrison, of Urmston, is charged with two common assaults.

"He is due before Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court on July 31, 2014."

Morrison was widely tipped to become a Manchester United regular as one of the club's best home-grown prospects in their youth teams. But the midfielder was sold by former boss Sir Alex Ferguson to West Ham for 650,000 pounds in January 2012.

He has since been loaned out by West Ham to Birmingham City and, more recently, Queens Park Rangers.

Despite being touted as a bright prospect at Old Trafford, Morrison only appeared in the League Cup before Ferguson took the decision to allow him to leave.

West Ham boss Sam Allardyce took him to Upton Park but he was soon shipped out to Birmingham on loan, a move that the 59-year-old felt helped Morrison develop his attitude.